ONE-GAME SEASON Penguins must win 4 straight from P-Bruins to stay alive

Ralph Francello / The Citizens' Voice
P-Bruins Graham Mink celebrates after Jared Knight scores in the first period against the Penguins in Game 3 on Wednesday

WILKES-BARRE TWP. - Seconds after the Providence Bruins took his turnover and turned it into the game-winning goal in overtime Wednesday night, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins defenseman Alex Grant smashed his stick into the goal post in anger and frustration.

Shards of fiberglass or Kevlar or whatever space-age polymers sticks are made of these days flew everywhere.

The Penguins have one last chance to pick up the pieces.

Trailing 3-0 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series, the Penguins will try to avoid a sweep in Game 4 tonight at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

"One-game series the rest of the way," Grant said. "That's the only way we can look at it. We obviously didn't put ourselves in a great situation here, but you gotta win four to win the series and the fourth one's always the hardest."

Grant faced reporters and reflected on the turnover after the Penguins had a team meeting and optional skate Thursday morning at the arena.

"Something like that is tough to put behind you, but I'm doing my best to do that," he said. "The best way to put it behind you is to come out tomorrow night and have a solid game and get a win."

When Grant retrieved a puck in his own zone in the first minute of overtime, he turned around to see forechecking P-Bruins winger Jordan Caron right in his face. He didn't feel he could safely pass to his defense partner, Joey Mormina.

"I just tried to go hard off the glass and it turned out to be the wrong play," Grant said.

It was a play fraught with pitfalls. If he put too much on the puck, it could clear the glass for a delay-of-game call and a Providence power play.

If he didn't put enough on it, winger Carter Camper could knock it down with his glove and attack.

That's what ended up happening, and two passes later, Camper scored to give the P-Bruins a 2-1 win.

"It's a simple play. It's as simple a play as you can make," Grant said. "It's obviously one I would like to have back. I don't know what I would do different. Maybe a little harder, get it a little higher. It happens. There are lots of times where I could make that play and we go down and score or we just get it out. It's just the way it happens sometimes."

No one in the Penguins locker room seemed interested in pinning any blame on Grant after the game. Coach John Hynes pointed out that there were five other players on the ice. Captain Joey Mormina noted that everyone makes mistakes.

By Thursday, the Penguins had turned their attention to the task at hand - winning four straight against a strong Providence club.

Hynes presented his team with an analogy.

"You look at the NCAA (basketball tournament)," Hynes said. "You could say Louisville had to win six straight games. They had to go to the Sweet 16 and then the Elite Eight and then the Final Four. They're all one-game eliminations."

If there's any reason for the Penguins to be optimistic heading into tonight's game, it's that they've played better in each successive game in the series.

That trend will obviously have to continue if they're to get up off the mat this time.

"We're up against it - it's no secret - but you can't get lost in that," center Warren Peters said. "We just gotta be prepared to play tomorrow. Come in and try to be as loose as possible. That's the way our group's been successful. Not being uptight. Not overthinking it. Don't get caught up in the long-term goal."

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